A horse pulling a carriage in Thursday evening's Western Heritage Classic parade in downtown Abilene was spooked by a motorcycle entry, spilling the carriage driver and forcing state Sen. Dawn Buckingham and her aide to jump to safety.

Buckingham and her aide, Adrian Piloto, were not injured. The carriage driver was identified as Evadean "Deanne" Owen, according to a Facebook post by Buckingham. Owen is from Bellevue, which is about 155 miles northeast of Abilene and 30 miles southeast of Wichita Falls.

Friday morning, Buckingham posted on Facebook a video of her visiting Owen in the hospital. Buckingham said in the post that Owen is "recovering nicely."

"She worked so hard to control the horse," Buckingham said in a phone interview with the Reporter-News on Friday morning.

Rochelle Johnson, general manager of the Taylor County Expo Center, where the annual event is being held this weekend, said the motorcycle in the parade was a late entry.

According to Buckingham's Facebook post, a motorcycle spooked the horse, who took off for a "runaway ride." The horse ran the carriage over a curb, "throwing Ms Owen into the street." Buckingham and Piloto jumped out for safety and ran to assist Owen, Buckingham wrote.

The incident occurred on Pine Street at North First Street near the underpass that connects to Oak Street on the south side, Abilene police said in a report Friday afternoon.

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A tractor goes under the Pine Street underpass during the Western Heritage Classic parade Thursday. During the parade a motorcycle group going north on the route spooked a carriage going south, returning to the parade staging area near this underpass. The carriage driver was injured, but passengers state Sen. Dawn Buckingham and her aide were not.(Photo: Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News)

Johnson said Friday morning that she was looking into how a last-minute entry of motorcycle group was allowed to be added at the end of the parade. The parade committee’s policy has barred motorcycles for at least 25 years, Johnson said.

She did not know the name of the motorcylce group, which she said was warned by several people to not rev their engines.

The buggy was entry No. 5 in the parade, which had 96 entries, Johnson said.

As the first entries in the parade turn south off North First Street onto the southbound lanes of Pine Street to go under the overpass, the entries at the back of the parade are beginning the parade route in the northbound lanes of Pine Street. The early and tail-end entries usually pass by each other in the underpass area, which reverberates and echoes sounds.

Buckingham said that as the buggy was ending the parade route where it loops at the starting area, she saw and heard the motorcycles at the parade route's beginning under the overpass. Their engines were echoing under the overpass.

"The horse did not like that and started to run," Buckingham said.

Police said the carriage went over the median separating north and south lanes, throwing Owen from the carriage, which then hit a sign.

The carriage was on two wheels several times, Buckingham said, as Owen tried to control the horse while Buckingham and Piloto tried to stabilize Owen. Owen was tossed over the front of the carriage, which rolled over her. Buckingham and Piloto jumped out to check on Owen.

"It's amazing that all three of us survived without major injuries," Buckingham said.

Another man on a horse tried to get control of the spooked horse, Buckingham said. The horse broke away from the carriage and ran to Treadaway Boulevard, which is about five blocks east of Pine Street. APD Officer David Thompson corralled the horse.

“The horse is fine,” Johnson said.

Police said no citations were issued.

This was the first year for Owen to be in the parade, Johnson said. Thursday also was the first time for Buckingham, who grew up riding horses, to participate in the Western Heritage Classic parade.

In future parades, “motorcycles will not be allowed in the parade,” Johnson said.

Earlier Thursday, Buckingham was in Abilene to talk with city officials, with more meetings Friday. She plans to be in the parade next year, she said.

Buckingham and Piloto have only a few bumps and scrapes today as signs of Thursday's incident, she said.

"We were kind of teasing each other that Abilene has left it's mark on us," Buckingham said.

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Carolyn Yost helps Lisa Kennedy place her flagpole in Yost's stirrup prior to Thursday's Western Heritage Classic parade in downtown Abilene May 10, 2018. The ladies were riding with the local chapter of the 40-Something Cowgirls equestrian group.
Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News

Spectators beneath the N. First Street bridge watch a Ranger College tractor motor up to Pine Street at the beginning of the Western Heritage Classic parade Thursday May 10, 2018. Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News

Dancers spin across the Texas Star at the intersection of N. First and Cypress streets during the street dance after Thursday's Western Heritage Classic parade May 10, 2018. Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News

Dancing to live music, couples two-step at the intersection of N. First and Cypress streets during the street dance after Thursday's Western Heritage Classic parade May 10, 2018. Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News